Tai Hang, a modern-looking neighborhood in Hong Kong, is home to the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance,a folk art form that
The dragon is about 70 meters long and weighs more than 200 pounds,with its body
The inheritors of the dragon dance have set up workshops to demonstrate various aspects of the traditional art from the making techniques to
2 . How similar are language and music?
Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world.
Both language and music have a writing system.
In English we record language using the alphabet, which is a collection of letters. Similarly, we use notes (音符) to keep a record of music. Musicians read notes and create meaning in the form of music.
You can make a good guess at where someone is from by listening to the language he uses. In the same way, we know that styles of music are different around the world, giving us the opportunity to explore many different cultures through their music and providing us with music for every situation.
Both share emotion.
| A．Both are expressive. |
| B．Both vary with culture. |
| C．How do you know that I am angry? |
| D．We use language to express our thoughts. |
| E．Similarly, music is part of many people’s lives. |
| F．So just as you read English, you can read music. |
| G．In contrast, you probably also listen to sad music when you are feeling down. |
3 . The Guide to the Lively Arts
Free CountryWednesday, June 21 at 7 pm
Marine Band summer concerts are back now! Enjoy outdoor & live-streamed concerts around the DMV. This week Free Country takes the stage for a lineup of Motown, Classic Rock & the like. Check out full programs and the diverse schedule of performances for the summer online. No tickets required.
Dance to the MusicFriday, June 23 at 8 pm
Friday night Concerts at the Capitol are back! This week, the pop/rock group, Downrange, presents a program of upbeat popular hits. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy world-class music under Washington, DC skies.
Price: $19-$39.
Summer Concert SeriesSaturday, June 24 at 7 pm at National Harbor
Tuesday, June 27 at 8 pm at the U. S. Capitol Steps
Join the Concert Band for two FREE concerts in the Summer Concert Series on Saturday evening at the National Harbor Waterfront and Tuesday evening on the West Lawn at the steps of the U. S. Capitol.
C. S. Lewis on StageJune 28 — 30 three shows only!
Award-winning actor Max McLean’s outstanding performance captures C. S. Lewis’s charming personality and astonishing eloquence (口才) to create an onstage experience exploring deep into the soul of one of the most influential thinkers of the century. With McLean’s talent for humor, expect plenty of laughs in this show.
Price: $79-$99.
The Guide to the Lively Arts appears: ·Sunday in Arts. ·Monday — Thursday in Style. ·Friday in Weekend. ·Saturday in Culture.
For information about advertising, call: Raymond Boyer 202-334-4174
To reach a representative, call: 202-334-7006| guidetoarts@washpost.com
1. What do Free Country and Dance to the Music have in common?| A．They charge ticket fees. | B．They are broadcast online. |
| C．They feature classic music. | D．They are performed outdoors. |
| A．Free Country. | B．C. S. Lewis on Stage. |
| C．Dance to the Music. | D．Summer Concert Series. |
| A．Arts. | B．Style. | C．Weekend. | D．Culture. |
4 . Canadian Music Festivals to Let Your Hair Down at
Osheaga-Quebec
This 3-day local favorite is one of Canada’s biggest festivals, having a line-up of indie, rap and pop moguls. The festival is divided into six main stages: Mountain, River, Tree, Green, Valley and Zone Piknic Electronik-each featuring a different type of music.
Ottawa Bluesfest-Ontario
This music festival will celebrate its 25th birthday with hundreds of world-class shows. Taking place in the LeBreton Flats along, the Ottawa River, the festival will run across five stages over 10 exciting days. The star-studded line-up is full of local and international talents. Household names include alt-J, Alexisonfire, Chvrches, Jessie Reyez, Kygo, Logic, Shakey Graves, and many, many, many more.
Montreal Jazz Festival-Quebec
Founded in 1979, this Jazz festival will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year by hosting more than 600 concerts across 20 stages. Held in the heart of downtown and kicking off at the end of June, this year’s line-up is a mix of artists from around the world. This festival attracts more than 2.5 million music fans during 10 days, and is world famous in the jazz community. Most shows are free but some can cost up to $40 per person.
Festival d’été-Quebec
Established in 1908, the Festival d’été is an all-out 11-day musical feast that takes place in downtown Quebec City annually. Its main stage is one of the biggest in North America and is found in the historic Plains of Abraham. There are also hundreds of smaller performances spread across a dozen venues in the city. The best part is tickets are super cheap!
1. Where will the Montreal Jazz festival be held?| A．On the Ottawa river. | B．In a village. |
| C．In the city center. | D．On a plain. |
| A．Thrill-seekers. | B．Foodies. |
| C．Party-planners. | D．Concert-goers. |
| A．All of them are held in Quebec. | B．All of them are multi-stage festivals. |
| C．All of their performers are from Canada. | D．All of their shows are ticketed. |
Emily White was born seventeen years ago with so many birth problems in her body. Some of her organs, bones and muscles were out of shape. No one expected her to survive. She did make it but with her strange body figure, everyone could recognize her, even from a distance.
In Emily White’s hometown, there was a yearly outdoor performance in the school auditorium (大礼堂). It had been performed for so many years and actually had become one of the most important events of the Christmas season for many of the town’s people.
Many people tried out each year for it, but so many were turned away. It can only include the most excellent people in the field.
Emily had a beautiful singing voice. Last year she went to Mrs. Owens — her music teacher to ask to join in the performance. Without letting her sing, Mrs. Owens took a look at Amy’s body and said, “Child, you just don’t fit. Everyone would stare at you and that would make you uncomfortable. It would make them uncomfortable, too.”
Without singing a single note, Emily was sent back through the door of the choral room. Hurt and upset, she decided never to try out again. But Mrs. Owens then retired.
This year, there came a new music teacher, Mr. Buttler. He heard about Emily and suggested that she have a try.
Emily didn’t want to be rejected again, so she hesitated a little about it. As Emily struggled, the door was pushed open and Mr. Buttler called, “Emily, you’re next.” Although kind of nervous, Emily did as Mr. Buttler told her to do. Mr. Buttler sat by the piano to keep Emily company. When Emily finished her testing performance, she thanked Mr. Buttler and knew the result would be posted on the door of the choral room the next day.
Emily couldn’t sleep that night. She was suffering from the feelings that she didn’t fit and the great need to be accepted. By the next morning, her stomach was even in pain because of stress.
注意：续写词数应为150左右Paragraph 1: The next day, Emily nervously glanced at the list on the door of the choral room.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Finally, the day of performance came.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . Want to know who is on tour right now? Concert Fix will bring you up to the news on tour announcements, tour guests, concert schedules, locations and venues.
That! Feels Good Tour
English vocalist Jessie Ware has announced a return to North America later in 2023 to promote her upcoming album “That! Feels Good!”. The 7-city excursion takes place in October making stops in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York and Toronto. The rising singer-songwriter recently joined British pop singer Harry Styles in late 2022 during a small portion of Harry’s Love On Tour.
Gigaton Tour
Grammy-winning rockers Pearl Jam have announced a brief 2023 tour across America promoting their recent album “Gigaton”. Joining the tour on select dates will be special guests Inhaler. The new outing follows up 2022’s Gigaton Tour which was their first since 2018. The 9-date trek takes place in August making stops in St. Paul, Chicago, Noblesville.
Angels in Science Fiction Tour
Soul favorites St. Paul & The Broken Bones have announced a massive North American tour later in 2023 to support their brand new album “Angels in Science Fiction”. The 32-city excursion kicks off September 23rd in Louisville and extends into November making notable stops in Chicago, Royal Oak, Port Chester, Washington DC, Charlotte, Dallas, Seattle and Denver.
Farm Tour
Country music singer Luke Bryan has announced another version of his annual Farm Tour visiting select farming communities across America. The new 5-city tour takes place in September making stops in Shelbyville, Millersport, Colfax, Brooklyn and Eyota. Like always, a portion of the money earned from ticket selling will be donated to students and families within these farming communities.
1. Which tour will be held in Chicago in August?| A．That! Feels Good Tour. | B．Gigaton Tour. |
| C．Angels in Science Fiction Tour. | D．Farm Tour. |
| A．Soul music concert. | B．Rock music concert. |
| C．Country music concert. | D．R&B music concert. |
| A．That! Feels Good Tour. | B．Gigaton Tour. |
| C．Angels in Science Fiction Tour. | D．Farm Tour. |
7 . For anyone connected with a school, the last couple of weeks should have been a pile-up of plays, choir performances, and talent shows. But a report found, alarmingly, that 53% of primaries and 63% of secondaries that normally hold a festive concert at the end of the first term did not do so.
It is deeply troubling that music is no longer being taught to 11-to-14-year-olds in more than half of state secondaries. And some children get as little as one day of music lesson a year. If this situation is allowed to continue, music-making will become the preserve of those who can afford it. And the intense competition for better academic performance has only sped up this trend. A survey published this month of more than 1, 300 music teachers found that a third of British primary schools are not singing, while a quarter have ceased instrumental lessons. Almost three-quarters of primary and two-thirds of secondary schools have cancelled extracurricular music. Though a sharp decline of music provision is due to various social factors, Ofsted appeared to put this down to schools themselves, rather than pointing the finger at the government’s silence to educators’ appeal.
This is very sad and shortsighted. On the most basic level, music aids academic achievement. Research suggests that music-making improves speech and literacy. But academic progress is too narrow a standard of success. In her book, Joan Koenig argues that music is fundamental to a well-functioning society. Besides that, music-making nurtures sympathy and belonging. “People stand a much better chance of finding meaning and happiness in their lives if they feel that they belong,” as Koenig puts it. “Studies show that group musical practice can create and enhance this feeling. It is when people don’t have a sense of belonging that things go wrong.”
In this time of uncertainty and fear, ensuring that all children can access music-making is a cause deserving meaningful support and attention from ministers.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?| A．Educators are appealing for investment. | B．Schools merely value academic achievements. |
| C．Music lessons are nearly absent from classrooms. | D．Parents cannot afford students’ music lessons. |
| A．The schools. | B．The educators. | C．The government. | D．The researchers. |
| A．Promotes. | B．Deserves. | C．Symbolizes. | D．Worsens. |
| A．Music education is optional. | B．Music education calls for backup. |
| C．Music-making is tough. | D．Music-making makes sense. |
8 . Hip hop is a subculture and an art movement that emerged (出现) from the Bronx in New York City during the early 1970s. Its development reflected the negative effects of post-industrial decline, political discourse, and a rapidly changing economy.
Looking back to New York City during this era, we see an economic collapse. The city’s economy was falling apart due to the decline of the manufacturing industry. Much of the middle class moved to the suburbs to escape the social and economic challenges.
Consequently, businesses closed their doors, causing many economic opportunities and sources of entertainment to disappear. As a result, urban youth turned to the streets for recreation and self-expression. The abandoned buildings and parking lots set the stage for block parties. These block parties laid the groundwork for early hip hop culture. DJs and MCs brought the music by setting up mobile “Sound Systems” introduced by Jamaican culture. Sheets of cardboard became dance floors for break-dancers, and brick walls transformed into canvases for graffiti. The emerging hip hop culture also became an outlet to deal with despair, abandonment and even violence.
Several people were influential in creating hip hop. Among the most famous ones is DJ Kool Herc, the “founding father of hip hop.” The Jamaican American made history in 1973 when he and his sister hosted the “Back to School” party in their apartment building. This historical party is recognized for launching the hip hop movement. Herc was also famous for creating a DJ technique called “break beat”-a mixing practice he adapted from Jamaican music. He noticed that people often waited for drum breaks of a record to dance. This took place when every instrument stopped playing except for the drums. Then the DJ would use two turntables (唱机转盘) to switch back and forth between two copies of the same record. The break section was also the most anticipated part of a song where people danced the most.
The DJ kept growing in popularity throughout the 1970s. He moved on to larger parks, played in clubs and inspired other DJs who helped this type of dance music to develop.
1. Why did hip hop culture emerge in the Bronx during the early 1970s?| A．Because of the economic downturn and social circumstances. |
| B．Because of the post-industrial economy and cultural diversity. |
| C．Because of the popularity of Jamaican music and dance culture. |
| D．Because of young people’ need for new forms of entertainment. |
| A．Economic challenges. | B．Jamaican music. |
| C．Community gatherings. | D．Despair and violence. |
| A．A place to seek entertainment. |
| B．A movement for social changes. |
| C．A campaign for commercial purposes. |
| D．A channel to release negative emotions. |
| A．“Back to School” was the first party held by him. |
| B．He helped spread hip-hop culture by giving concerts. |
| C．He was well-known for the “break beat” dancing skill. |
| D．He was highly thought of as a pioneer of hip-hop culture. |
9 . I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were in the economic crisis. She said a polite “no”.
That didn’t stop me. I searched the measurements of a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would click notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one—keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was serious, she borrowed money and bought me 10 lessons.
I still remember the first one. I was struck by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons. Once I started secondary school, we couldn’t afford lessons again. I passed grade three, and then grade five, practicing only on my piece of paper.
One evening, when I was about 13, my mom said she had a surprise for me; it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more borrowed money. It was the first time I’d played for her. She was in shock.
My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. But I had to pass a difficult test. Some of the questions involved an evaluation of the composer or when some piece was written. I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement, I was offered a place.
At the Purcell School. I spent two years working as hard as I could, performed to raise money and saved enough to buy my first piano.
When I left the Purcell School, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. I am now at the Guildhall School in London. I feel proud—it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and I’m at one of the world’s leading music schools.
The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano--what we call mental practice. The paper piano helped arouse my curiosity about how music works and the building blocks that form the pieces.
1. Why did the author’s mom buy him lessons at last?| A．She was shocked by his first performance. |
| B．She had no doubt about his talent for piano. |
| C．She realized he meant what he said. |
| D．She suddenly made a fortune. |
| A．Honest. | B．Determined |
| C．Humorous | D．Optimistic |
| A．The author felt surprised. | B．The author felt proud. |
| C．The author felt satisfied | D．The author felt disappointed. |
| A．To introduce the method of mental practice. |
| B．To share how he convinced his mom to buy a piano. |
| C．To describe how costly it is to learn an instrument. |
| D．To encourage people to stick to their dreams. |
Wandering sounds, irregular rhythms and a carrier of gentle emotions. This is the musical language of guqin, a seven-string instrument
The earliest piece of guqin in China, unearthed in Hubei province,
The guqin has been embraced by musicians for centuries, the most popular one
